Your Species, Talents, Feats, and Actions may grant additional bonuses to one or more of these Defenses. For example, Gamorreans gain a +2 Species bonus to their Fortitude Defense, while a character with the Improved Defenses feat gains a +1 bonus to all three Defenses.

Your Reflex Defense (Abbreviated Reflex) represents how hard you are to hit in combat, and most attacks target a creature's Reflex Defense. If an opponent's Attack Roll equals or exceeds your Reflex Defense, the attack hits.

Armor Bonus: Your Armor Bonus is determined by the Armor you wear. If you are wearing Armor, add your Armor Bonus to your Reflex Defense instead of your Heroic Level. This represents the difference between using your innate skill to avoid injury and counting on your Armor to absorb the damage from incoming attacks.

Dexterity Modifier: Nimble targets are more difficult to hit than slow ones. Add your Dexterity Modifier to your Reflex Defense. If you are Flat-Footed or unaware of an attack, you lose your Dexterity bonus (But not a penalty) to your Reflex Defense. If you are helpless (For example, knocked unconscious), calculate your Reflex Defense as if you had a Dexterity score of 0 (-5 modifier).

Your Fortitude Defense (Abbreviated Fortitude) represents your ability to resist the effects of Poison, Disease, and Radiation, as well as your ability to ignore effects that would incapacitate a normal being.

Wisdom Modifier: Strong-willed characters are harder to influence than weak-willed ones. You add your Wisdom Modifier to your Will Defense. When you are unconscious, you have an effective Wisdom score of 0 (-5 modifier).